Drying and aerating machine



Oct. 12 1926.

J. A. SPARKS ET AL DRYING AND AERKTINQ MACHINE Filed June 19. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gnuenloqd c]? A. ad/mks. G.E. 0W1.

LEM.

Clark Oct. 12 1926.

J. A. SPARKS ET AL DRYING AND AERAIING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 c/- A. Sparks. 0.18,

Clark Patented 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Jo ns a. stance, cnannn's E. arm, Ami wnmr ur I. GLABLDI' an: cm;

. KANSAS.

DRYING AND AEBA'IING MACHINE.

Application filed June 18, 1924. Serial ll'o. 721,042.

This invention relates to an improved drying and aerating machine of the general character shown in Patent Number 1,202,445, issued October 24, 1916, to J. A. Sparks and L. G. Waters, as well as alater Patent Number 1,278,593, issued September 10, 1918, to C. E. Clark, W. M. Clark and J. A. Sparks.

The invention seeks to provide a drying and aerating machine of the character indi cated wherein, as compared with the patented structures, the blast of fresh air through the device will be greatly increased both in volume and velocity for thus effectually drying. articles placed in the device and aerating said articles, and wherein novel means will be provided for accommodating the discharge of air from the device.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings: I Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a drying and aerating machine embodying the present invention,

Figure the line 22 of Figure 1,1ook1ng in the direct-ion indicated by the arrows, and particularly showing the construction of the casing employed, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the basket particularly showing the turbine fan thereof. In carrying the invention into effect, we employ a base 10 mounting a gear housing 11 at one end of which are spaced uprights I 12'. Associated with the gear housing are alined bearings 13 and 14 and ournaled through said bearings is a vertical shaft 15 supported by a collar 16 coactlng with the bearing 13 and by a beveled gear 17 coacting with the bearing 14. ournaled within the gear housing is a horizontal shaft 18 provided at one end with a beveled gear 19 meshing with the gear-17 and fixed upon the opposite end of said shaft is a pinion 20. Mounted upon the uprights 12 are alined bearings 21 and journaled through said bearings is a shaft 22 to the outer end of which 'a hand crank 01 motor may be attached. The shaft carries a gear wheel 24 meshing with the pinion 20, so that, as Will be seen, the shaft may be turned for rotating the shaft 15.

2 is a horizontal sectional view on wall 26 which is appropriately secured to the housing 11 and is 'apertured and provided with an upstanding flange 27 to accommodate the upper end of the shaft 15 as well as the collar 16 and bearing 13. In general contour, the casing is cylindrical and, asbrought out in Figure 1, is of uniform d1ameter at its upper end. However, the side wall of the casing is spirally flared from the upper end of the casin to the lower end thereof to produce an 0 set 28 at one side of the casing radually widening from the upper end 0 the casing to the lower end thereof. The side wall of the easing is preferably formed from a single sheet of material which, at its upper'edge, is secured together at its ends While at its lower edge, the sheet is spirally bent about the axis of the flange 27 to produce the offset 28, when the overlappin ends of the sheet are appropriately secured together from edge to edge of the sheet. At its lower edge, the side wall of the casing is referably provided with a flange 29 which is appropriately secured to the bottom wall 26 and depending from the bottom wall at the other end of the offset 28 therein is a discharge spout 30. Removably fitting in the upper end of the casin is a frusto-conical cover 31 provided axiall y with a dependin fresh air inlet tube or spout 32 and refera 1y equipped with a handle 33 exten ing over the outer end of said spout.

Mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 15 is a basket 34 to the bottom wall of which is attached a spider 35 connecting the basket with the shaft. The side wall of the basket is provided with openings 36 and mounted upon said side wall near the upper end of the basketis a series of external fan blades 37 extending circumferentially of the basket and inclined downwardly with respect there-- side wall and provided at its inner periphery with an upstanding annular flange 39. In-

. tegral with the flange 39 is an annular series of downwardly inclined radial fan blades 40 and fitting within the ring of'fan blades is a ring 41secured to the inner ed es of the blades and forming the mouth of t e basket. As will. be observed, the blades 40 lie within the lines of the flan e 39 and ring 41 so as to be protected there y.

In use, the cleaned clothes or other articles to be dried or aerated are placed within the basket 34, when the cover 31 'is applied. Power is then applied to the shaft 22 for turning the shaft 15 and rotating the basket. As will be seen, any cleaning fluids retained by the articles will be thrown by centrifu al force through the openings 34 of the has et into the casing to discharge through the spout 30. As the basket revolves, a blast of fresh air will, at the same time, be drawn through the spout 32 by the turbine fan at the top of the basket to be impinged directly against the articles in the basket and discharged through the openings 36 when the air currents will be impelled downwardl by the fan blades 37 toward the bottom of the casing and discharged throu h the s out 30. The articles in the basket W1 1 thus e effectively aerated and the odors of the cleaning fluids removed therefrom. Practical tests have shown that by providing the turbine fan at the top of the basket, a large volume of air is drawn in through the spout 32 with appreciable force and it accordingly becomes necessary to form the casing 25 in such manner that the flow of air may freely discharge at the bot-tom of the casing and thus be prevented from surging upwardly within the casing around the basket. The requirement is adequately met by the spiral formation of the casing. In thus forming the casing, the diameter of the casing gradually increases toward the bottom thereof so as to accommodate the air currents forced toward the bot-' tom of the casing while the offset 28 forms a shoulder obstructing the currents of air against movement with the revolving basket and directing the air currents downwardly into and through the spout 30.

,tatable basket in the casing,

Having thus described the invention, what we claim is: 1. A drying and aerating machine including a casin provided in its bottom portion with a disdharge opening, a perforated roan upstanding concentric flange on the top of the basket, a ring concentric with the flange and spaced inwardly therefrom, and a series of inclined fan blades fixed to and between said flange and said ring defining a turbine fan, means for admitting fresh air at the upper portion of the casing, and basket whereby said fan will be caused to induce a flow of fresh air downwardly through the basket to discharge at said opening.

2. A drying 'and aerating machine includinga casing having a side wall vertical through a portion of its extent and inclined through the remainder of its extentiwhereby the lower edge of the wall will define a spiral offset while the upper edge thereof will define a circle, the end of the inclined portion of the wall overlapping the end of the vertical portion thereof and being secured thereto whereby to present an obstruction to discharging air currents, the casing being provided in its bottom with a discharge opening between the adjacent ends of the vertical and inclined portions of the wall, a perforated basket rotatable in the casing, means for admitting fresh air at the upper end of the casing, and means at the upper end of the basket for inducing a flow of fresh air downwardly through the basket to discharge at said opening in the bottom of the casing.

In testimony whe eof We afiix our signatures.

JONAS A. SPARKS. [1 s.] CHARLES E. CLARK. [L. s.] WILLIAM M. CLARK. [1,. s.]

means for rotating the 

